Dentist told me off :(

lc355 · April 2016

Saw my dentist today and he told me off saying I have cavities due to eating too many sweet snacks and drinking fizzy drinks. I drink one diet energy drink a day and usually have a chocolate or cake in the evening after dinner. I think he thought I was munching on dried fruit and guzzling coke all day.

I'm maintaining now so will have to try and think of ways to eat my calories without snacking on chocolate and cake I guess. I'm not going to drink anymore energy drinks because I know they are really bad for teeth, but not sure what tooth friendly snacks there are for my end of day treat.

I don't really have a question, just feeling a bit sad about it.

perkymommy · April 2016

Just be sure to brush in the evening and again when waking. I need to floss more often but always forget. My dentist gets on me about that every single time. I just can't seem to remember to do it. But definitely try not to go to bed without brushing.

Packerjohn · April 2016

Dental health is more important than sweets. Glad you found the issue in time to do something about it.

Best of luck.

Cherimoose · April 2016

perkymommy wrote: »

I need to floss more often but always forget. My dentist gets on me about that every single time. I just can't seem to remember to do it.

Wrap the floss around your toothbrush.

LBuehrle8 · April 2016

It's probably not all caused by sweets and pop if you're not eating and drinking them super often. I eat sweets all the time and drink 2 pops a day and have never had a cavity in my life. I'm 30.

tulips_and_tea · April 2016

I wouldn't change my eating habits based on those comments by a dentist. Just because they are formally educated as a dentist doesn't mean everything they say is true.

As the others have said, just brush and floss regularly.

puffbrat · April 2016

I agree with the other comments about just making sure to brush and floss regularly.

Something to keep in mind is that acid is cause of tooth enamel erosion. So even if you don't drink that many carbonated drinks like sodas, acidic foods can cause erosion. It's also possible you have naturally thin tooth enamel which is more susceptible to cavities and obvious erosion. I have this problem.

darrensurrey · April 2016

I brush and floss regularly. Who doesn't brush twice a day??? The problem really kicked in for me when I started doing this health/fitness thing. Grazing is terrible for teeth. It raises your acid levels so your teeth are constantly being eroded. Stick to 3 meals and no snacking. Within those meals, you can eat all the sweets and fizzy drinks you want but rinse your mouth afterwards.

Also, do not brush directly after eating because the enamel is softer and you will wear it out.

PaulaWallaDingDong · April 2016

Flossing does suck.

Also, +1 to brushing before bed. I've never been in the habit. I wasn't raised with hygiene at the forefront, and I'm still working on it. It's so much easier to remember to do it when you first wake up and you know you have poo breath.

Have you been told you're more prone to cavities for some reason? One fizzy drink and some dessert don't seem like they would do that much damage.

emdeesea · April 2016

There are some dentists who have very bad bedside manners. It's almost like they hate their jobs and take it out on the patient.

Last year I had a dentist get on me due to a cavity and plaque buildup.

I see the dentist twice a year, floss nightly, brush obsessively, and use a fluoride rinse. I don't drink soda, don't eat many sweets, etc. And STILL got a cavity. So I told the dentist I don't want to hear about it.

besaro · April 2016

i was never a flosser until i my dental health got pretty bad. i started flossing in the morning and no *kitten*, haven't missed a day (NOT ONE!) in almost 2 years. for some reason, switching it up made all the difference. I also walk around the house while brushing my teeth. i feel i get a two-fer, a few extra steps and a fresh mouth!

Jruzer · April 2016

zyxst · April 2016

Some people, like me, just have bad teeth.

frankie_xox · April 2016

I also drink lots of pop and eat candy/sweets (not excessive amounts, but I have never not eaten something when I wanted it) and have no cavities. Perhaps there are other issues there and it would've been nice of the dentist to try to pinpoint the issue rather than make the assumption that these things were the problem.

CrabNebula · April 2016

I will just say that it is amazing how much my dental health improved as an unintended consequence of my weight loss. I went from cavities, root canals, and periodontal disease to no more cavities, root canals, and completely arrested to improved in some places periodontal disease since the weight came off.

joolie1234 · April 2016

I brush and floss religiously, and I still got have gotten cavities and gum disease. I had to go to a periodontist for scaling, I have to see the dentist 3 times per year instead of two, and they use special special tools when they clean my teeth. Meanwhile, growing up my younger brother ate out of the sugar bowl, and to this day he eats junk and drinks Dew like a fiend, yet he has never had a cavity. Sometimes, it's just that you're more susceptible to problems. Good luck!

rainbowbow · April 2016

my suggestion to you is to make a dramatic change in your current routine because obviously what you're doing isnt working. It's my idea that unless you force yourself to make a HUGE change for a minimum of 3-4 weeks it's just too easy to fall back into old bad habits. This method makes it easier for them to stick!

I went through this myself after having 3 cavities a root canal and crown at the age of 19 and being told i'm getting interdental cavities and that my gums would need a laser treatment unless i fixed the problem because they were too deep and i was beginning to have periodontal disease.

This is what i did and i haven't had a cavity or problem since:
I made a 30 day challenge for myself where i...

Purchased 1 Sonicare toothbrush for home use and one manual tooth brush with a travel cap.
Purchased the easy flossers picks and one pack of normal floss.
purchased a toothpaste and mouth rinse with flouride.
Purchased a dental product called "MI Paste Plus" which combines flouride with calcium and minerals to help remineralize teeth

Then i...

Brushed with my sonicare, flossed, and rinsed each morning.
After lunch at work i'd take my travel tooth brush and floss and do that.
At night i'd brush with my sonicare, floss, and then apply the MI Paste.

i changed...
sucking on sugary candy like werthers, mints, etc. where they stay in your mouth a long time
stopped drinking sodas
started drinking water before/after my meals
cut out coffee, tea, and other staining drinks

Do this for 30 days and you'll realize that it's not hard, takes very little time, becomes an enjoyable routine, and more importantly will improve the health and longevity of your teeth.

Remember, we are only born with the teeth we have... once they're gone they're gone. Take care of them!

p.s. i also have dry mouth so i highly recommend the sugar free gums with xylitol, mouth rinses like biotene, scraping your tongue when needed, and staying super hydrated!

WickedPineapple · April 2016

zyxst wrote: »

Some people, like me, just have bad teeth.

Yeah, I'm only 31 and have already had to get a crown. I drink pop rarely (maybe once a month) and don't eat many sweets (one piece of dark chocolate every other day). I've always brushed twice a day and flossed/rinsed, but more recently increased the flossing/rinsing to try to help prevent further dental problems (my dentist thinks it's because my teeth are too close together). My mom also has bad teeth and got her first crown on exactly the same tooth as me around the same age.

I also rinse with water throughout the day (swishing it around), especially after coffee or tea. OP, you might want to try that rather than cutting out things.

If my dentist blamed it all on me and told me I was eating/drinking the wrong things without even asking me what I was eating/drinking, I'd find a new dentist.

GaleHawkins · April 2016

lc355 wrote: »

Saw my dentist today and he told me off saying I have cavities due to eating too many sweet snacks and drinking fizzy drinks. I drink one diet energy drink a day and usually have a chocolate or cake in the evening after dinner. I think he thought I was munching on dried fruit and guzzling coke all day.

I'm maintaining now so will have to try and think of ways to eat my calories without snacking on chocolate and cake I guess. I'm not going to drink anymore energy drinks because I know they are really bad for teeth, but not sure what tooth friendly snacks there are for my end of day treat.

I don't really have a question, just feeling a bit sad about it.

@lc355 while cutting out sugary carbs does reduce the population of microbes growing in one's mouth and may help prevent cavities that pays for new homes and cars for dentists yet sometime cavities can be an internal lack of calcium in bones/teeth. If interested read up on the need of Vitamins D3 and K2 to help prevent cavities.

thedentalessentials.com/The_role_of_vitamin_k2_on_tooth_decay_s/29.htm

suzyjane1972 · April 2016

I have hereditary weak tooth enamel and damage to the root system due to a long term undiagnosed jaw absess.....I floss brush and swill but still have terrible teeth. Do what you can and try to cut down on acid foods.

biggsterjackster · April 2016

My dentist also told me to stop drinking soda, especially diet soda. So I just drink water. It's the best anyway.

GaleHawkins · April 2016

Dr. Attia has helped me gain a better understanding why I should change my high carb macro for all aspects of my personal health.

eatingacademy.com/nutrition/how-can-carbohydrate-restriction-be-healthy-if-it-means-limiting-natural-foods-like-fruits-and-vegetables

Below is the source he mentioned in his blog.

connectwell.biz/pdf/comment_truth_about_sugar.pdf

ridge4mfp · April 2016

zyxst wrote: »

Some people, like me, just have bad teeth.

Exactly. I had crowns and bridges by the time I was 12. No, I was a normal kid, did not have constant sugary drinks or foods. I brushed twice a day. Wasn't as good with flossing, but I did do it. Used fluoride toothpaste, and had fluoridated water. My life for many years was a long series of root canals, periodontal surgery, abscesses, extractions, crowns and bridges, and a LOT of pain. I just had really soft enamel.

Finally gave up the fight and huge $$ outlays in my 40's. Today I have full dentures and life is SO much better.

Dentists who blame every issue on sugar really tick me off.

chandanista · April 2016

I eat sweets and soda daily. No cavities or other dental issues in my life (touch wood). Your dentist is not someone I'd entrust my dental care to.

ames105 · April 2016

Some medications can cause damage to your teeth, you should confirm that isn't a side effect of any you may be taking. Soft teeth may be hereditary, some people don't get enough floride in their diet. Brushing twice daily and two-three dental visits a year is important.

Damage caused to your teeth by sweets doesn't have to be done in the last week or last month. It could have started years ago if you had a diet heavy in sugar and sweets. Cavities develop slowly. I wouldn't change your diet based on what your dentist said this week if you aren't having that many sweets but you may be paying a price for former eating habits.

zyxst · April 2016

ridge4mfp wrote: »

zyxst wrote: »

Some people, like me, just have bad teeth.

Exactly. I had crowns and bridges by the time I was 12. No, I was a normal kid, did not have constant sugary drinks or foods. I brushed twice a day. Wasn't as good with flossing, but I did do it. Used fluoride toothpaste, and had fluoridated water. My life for many years was a long series of root canals, periodontal surgery, abscesses, extractions, crowns and bridges, and a LOT of pain. I just had really soft enamel.

Finally gave up the fight and huge $$ outlays in my 40's. Today I have full dentures and life is SO much better.

Dentists who blame every issue on sugar really tick me off.

I counted from memory that I have 4 teeth that have never had a cavity. Every other tooth I have is capped, filled, and/or rebuilt with whatever a dentist uses to replaced rotted away enamel. I can't and never could floss without having the stupid stuff get snagged and stuck in my teeth, yes even the floss advertised as snag-free. I thought many times about getting dentures just to save myself the agony of a future of dental visits, but my mom told me to never get dentures. She had her teeth removed a few years after I was born and she said it was one of the biggest mistakes of her life. I'm not in any pain despite my poor dental hygiene, so I just keep going. Though I wish socialized medicine covered adult dental.

cathelia71 · April 2016

lc355 wrote: »

Saw my dentist today and he told me off saying I have cavities due to eating too many sweet snacks and drinking fizzy drinks. I drink one diet energy drink a day and usually have a chocolate or cake in the evening after dinner. I think he thought I was munching on dried fruit and guzzling coke all day.

I'm maintaining now so will have to try and think of ways to eat my calories without snacking on chocolate and cake I guess. I'm not going to drink anymore energy drinks because I know they are really bad for teeth, but not sure what tooth friendly snacks there are for my end of day treat.

I don't really have a question, just feeling a bit sad about it.

cathelia71 · April 2016

Hi there, I am a dental hygienist. You can have a soda with a meal.. Etc- the importance is not to sip on one all day- that can elevate your decay rate- same with the snacks, just rinse your mouth with water to break up the acid attack on your teeth. Some people are just more prone to decay and have to fight harder- make sure you're flossing daily too :-) each time you eat something you get a 30 min acid attack on your teeth- sugarless gum after can help after as well. Some times we don't have the best chair side manner- sorry he wasn't very nice ! Good luck!

ReaderGirl3 · April 2016

zyxst wrote: »

Some people, like me, just have bad teeth.

This is definitely an issue for some people, genetics plays a role as well. My husband has bad teeth, including never getting several adult teeth in. His mother is the exact same-she never had some of her adult teeth come in and has had major work done on her teeth/mouth. And surprise surprise-brought my son in for braces and the orthodontist discovered that he's missing two adult teeth as well (they're not under the gum waiting to come in like they should be). It's a genetic thing and you can't do anything about it. My husband had his last baby tooth pulled a couple years ago. You can imagine what shape it was in

lc355 · April 2016

Thank-you so much everyone for your kind comments.

I do brush twice a day (super whizzy toothbrush) and floss most days, he even said he could see I keep my teeth really clean but it's not enough. My teeth are breaking, he said it was to do with getting little cavities in the side and then the inside of the tooth being eaten away and then the tooth breaks. He did say it was okay to have sugary stuff at meal times but I'm usually too full after a meal hence I have my 'pudding' later. I was using a straw for my fizzy drink and didn't make it last all day, maybe 20 minutes but I've been meaning to try and give them up for years so now is a good time. I've been sipping water all day and it's not so bad.

It is interesting hearing people say they drink lots of fizzy drinks or eat lots of sugary stuff and have okay teeth, maybe I'm not the devil respawned after all.

sympha01 · April 2016

I've always had fantastic dental and oral health (magic teeth!). When I first moved to a new city, I started seeing this dentist who was referred to me by a colleague.

The first time I went, the hygienist really brutally /hurt/ my mouth doing the cleaning. That had never happened to me before, but I shrugged it off thinking I just got the clumsy one one in the office, or she was in a rotten mood and was taking it out on my gums. It happens. Got a clean bill of health for the actual dental exam, and left.

6 months later I'm back for my next checkup. I get a different hygienist, but she too takes to my mouth like she works for the CIA or something. All the bleeding. I notice there are graphic pictures all over the walls of really gross diseased mouths and he's promoting some special gum disease treatments. Now I'm thinking there's something fishy about this dental practice. So when the dentist comes in and asks how I am, I say something along the lines of "My gums never bleed except when I come to your office, I feel like your staff isn't respecting my mouth's human rights" he says "Oh it's because you have gum disease; you're not flossing."

Me: "Bull. I LIKE to floss. I floss all the GD time."

Dentist: "Then you're flossing wrong, that's why you have gum disease."

Me: "Un-bloody-likely. Let me show you how I floss." {demonstration ensues}

Dentist: "Oh do you drink sodas then? Even diet ones. That's why you have gum disease. Because TOCSINS."

Me: "Bull. You know, you might have had a chance of being taken seriously if you had looked in my GD mouth before diagnosing me with gum disease. But now the T-word, too? You're so very fired."

So I found another dentist. Before anyone touched my mouth, I told them my history (i.e., no history of gum disease, no gum bleeding at home when I brush or floss, but my most recent dentist insisted I had gum disease and I suspected he was a crank) and said "PLEASE examine me thoroughly for gum disease, if I've got it I want to know and we'll talk about options, but also, you know, I don't think a cleaning should hurt." Outcome? No gum disease. I've been going to that dentist for 10 years now and still no gum disease.

Moral of the story: Just because someone is a licensed medical professional doesn't mean they're not a prick, or a crank, or a quack, or just selling something you don't need.

Dentist told me off :(

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